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Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Book of the Week -- Hard Spell by Justin Gustainis

Stan Markowski, a hard boiled police detective in the Supe (as in supernatural) Squad of the Scranton, PA police department, is introduced in this totally satisfying series debut. A comment he makes ends up resulting the in the death of his partner when they respond to a call involving goblins, meth, and a hostage in a liquor store. Next he is partnered with Karl Renfer, a young cop under a cloud because of a situations involving zombies. Karl does come through when Stan is almost devoured by a demon that starts a case involving vampires, wizards, vampire wizards, and a series of ritual murders that look to be sacrifices in a dark magic spell that could change the world forever.

The fast pace, satisfying mystery, and characters who become real makes this a welcome addition to the genreblend of paranormal and mystery. Very gritty with a sense of humor.

Readers who like Jim Butcher's Dresden Files and Mark Del Franco's Connor Grey series will enjoy this and look forward to seeing what trouble Stan and Karl find next.

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About Me

Diana Tixier Herald, winner of Novelist's 2014 Margaret E. Monroe Award, has been posting book recommendations to the web since 1996. She is the author of several editions of Genreflecting, Teen Genreflecting, Fluent in Fantasy, and Strictly Science Fiction. She is the series editor of the Libraries Unlimited (ABC-CLIO) bestselling Genreflecting series.

Disclaimer

Many of the books I review on this site have been sent to me by publishers, authors, or publicists. I do not receive compensation for the reviews. I only review books I like and can recommend to other readers because I will not waste time reading or reviewing books I do not like. I do not keep review copies after I am done with them. They are passed on to teen reviewers or donated to schools and other non-profit organizations.